My Advice to My Children

Yes, it's Father's Day, but what better way to add a little advice for years to come from now!  I' m not sure who taught me this or if it is original, but...

KB - the best boyfriends are the ones you can look at and see that they will be good daddies one day... they have a heart for noise, they like to teach new things to little ones, and most importantly, they treat you with respect and love... after all...that's the best gift they can give.  You have a pretty good daddy... ok...he is great... and I can only tell you to try your best to find someone as close to him as possible... He is so much like Butch... he lets most things roll off his back, he is honest to the core, he wants the best for you, he will defend you when you are right, and YES, he will hurt your feelings when you are wrong... Your daddy got his ways from Papa.... who left you a sweet message on your first birthday (never marry a logger)... so I'm thinking you better heed to that advice and look for someone who has all the characteristics of the three men who molded you.  Papa would tell you the same thing!  I have to add in JMac too... for his patience with a pre-made family... for his love to us and how good he treats us...and more importantly, his love for Mimi! 

Ben- Proverbs 22:6- Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.  Your daddy is doing a pretty good job at this... except maybe when he yells at us for talking while he is on a business call... we know better, but we just get a little carried away goofing off and get caught!  Honestly, be like your daddy... your heart is so big... you have enough spunk about you to let hurt feelings pass, you have enough smarts about you that you figure things and people out quickly, and you have enough wit about you that adults fall in love with you from first sight... I'd love to take credit for all that, but I only birthed you... all those traits come from Daddy... I'd like to think that your athletic abilities come from me, but I'm thinking they are all McKinney/Wilkes too... be a good daddy one day and nurture those traits in your own children... Be like Daddy, Butch, Papa, and JMac and play every sport you can... strive to be the best in all you do... but most importantly, LOVE... love the women in your life... take care of them... show them respect... and let your heart shine! 

And to both of you... on each Father's Day... take a moment to remember those who can't be fathers, who don't have their father with them any longer, or who just hurt on this day because of situations out of their control.... you both are lucky enough to have great relationships with the term "father"... but there are those who don't... my heart hurts for them, and I want your heart to remember them as well... for you really don't know how lucky you are until you realize that everyone doesn't have a family like ours.  We are BLESSED, LUCKY people... and by the grace of God... I'm hoping you will always know that you both are loved so much... and Why? because of the fathers that have been in our lives... Butch, Papa, JMac... and on an almost daily basis... your Daddy... Mark McKinney... thanks for being the best!  You drive us crazy... but we love you... what we do without complaining about your silly antics, your crazy ideas, and your sleep habits.  Much love Mark... thanks for going above and beyond my expectations of looking for a mate... you fit the mold I wanted very well... I was right in choosing you to be the "Baby Daddy"... If I don't do anything else right... I did pick you!  



Happy Father's Day Mark, Butch, JMac, and Papa in Heaven....

IPHONE Clean-off

I can't think of anything else to call this.... I mean it could be titled lots of things, but I'm trying to play catch up with an update on SisandBoo.... to say we have been busy... really isn't even accurate... I think last night was the first night all four of us have spent at home without anywhere to go.... End of school activities, baseball, basketball, cheerleading, and life have kept us in the road.... I'll do my best to update, and I am promising myself that I won't get this far behind again! 

I'm not real sure why I took a picture of my Bible...I'm sure it was a post I was planning on writing, but looking at this... I need a new one.  Mine is dirty, worn, and I have run out of room to write in the margins in the New Testament... It's so true that the more you find out... the more you realize you don't know.  Our church has been blessed the last several years with pastors who have made me "write in the margins" more than ever before...It's fun to go back and look at what was said and the take that people have on what the verses mean... I'm learning that the words never change...it's the views... being able to interpret the correct way is something that will always blow my mind....some meaning gets lost through translation, but I hope I'm getting the message... anyway....I'm looking for a new Bible....

For several weeks this spring, I had time on the weekends to make pound cakes... I have tons of pictures with the cakes I made.... I think I enjoy cooking  more than anything else as a hobby.... But... making a cake takes a lot of time.... and it adds pounds to the hips... I'm reminded as I bake these cakes of my grandmothers...and for that... I'm thankful.... I use Boo-ma's pan (that I'm sure she never used...it was just in a box of her pots and pans and I "stole" it).... and no one could make a cake like Granny!  I'm sure mine aren't as good as hers, but I'm going to keep trying! 

I can't believe I'm adding this picture... but this was such a fun day.... I was reality tv star stalking.... this is one of those things that I know I shouldn't do.... but watching this show is like watching a train wreck.... it is a "hot mess".... I can't get over the lives some people live and my watching makes me realize that being a no-name, hardworking, "normal" person isn't so bad!  I'm a closet watcher of the show.... except for maybe a few of my closest friends knowing...I mean who would really admit to watching this!

KB coming home from Clemson.... She was lucky to attend a weekend being acclimated to the Clemson campus.... it looks like all our dollars will be sent to SC...anyone want to buy our house so we can move a few miles over the bridge and not pay out of state tuition? 

My Mother's Day card from Boo.... I love that he remembers the book we read... both my children have been diagnosed (by me) as having separation anxiety.... this book is really good to help with that... and I love that Ben notices me trying to get my steps in.... he and KB both have decided to let me do everything for them now... "Mama, can you do "XYZ" .... you will be able to get more steps in" 

I'm stress eating lately... end of year reports, conferences, and schedules have added pounds to the hips.... or as Mark likes to say sometimes "junk in the trunk"..... so I'm going to work on the Fitbit....and keeping my lips shut.... I'm sure Mark would make a little smart comment about there being nothing to eat in our house and dieting shouldn't be a problem.... but I'm going to shop today... one of those trips that might need two buggies! 

What a difference 11 years makes!  This is "Mandarosa" as Ben calls her....Mark nicknamed her that because we watched Celebrity Apprentice with her...  this year they were reunited when she came to LC to teach... he didn't get her as a teacher and was so disappointed... She loved on him the first months of his life when she came to live with us!  I don't know what I would have done without her!  She has her own little boys now, but Ben still thinks she belongs to him.  He worried about her everyday she was out on maternity leave... he just couldn't understand why she would stroll the babies around town and not be able to come back to school!  He found her at the awards ceremony to get a picture! 


Ben did great this year in school and enjoyed his teachers... I am sure they are just as excited about summer as he was... I would love to go back in the classroom, but I'm thinking I would take a leave of absence if I had to teach him! 

We have often said we don't know where he came from.... He doesn't look like anyone... he was born with very dark hair and beautiful skin... and he has the ability to draw what he sees... unlike anything else that lives in this house!  He received a special award for art this year from Smokey the Bear... but I, nor he, knows what the picture looks like.... but anyway... he was recognized for a great picture...

So... the last days of school I got a call from Mark that said I had a card in the mail.... people don't send cards anymore, so I told him to open it and see who it was from... it made my YEAR... a mother of one of our students sent me a card telling me how much she appreciated me and the kindness I had shown to her.  I'm glad I could be a small part of this family's life when they were making some tough decisions... I consider myself a "fireman".... I have often said that working in the central office of a school system requires thick skin and a filter on the mouth because 99 percent of the time I deal with a problem.... anyone who knows me knows that those aren't my characteristics.... I struggle daily with both.... but for once, this was one of those pleasure calls that I was able to give some words of encouragement and guidance that led to great things... I took a picture to remind me that it might take years... but one good thing did come from decisions I was a part of...

KB's turn.... there are lots of things I'm proud to say about her.... she has had an eventful year of being second in her class, making Varsity cheerleading, experiencing and surviving her first heartbreak, and spending every day of summer doing something besides sitting on the couch eating Doritos!  I think the thing that I'm most impressed with (not that those other things aren't special) was her piano recital!  My baby can play!  I'm so excited for her!  I have said it many times, but I wish our school could offer a second piano class.... she loved every minute of it and I was proud as a peacock to hear her play! 

I'm posting this picture to show my model body.... HA... not really... just motivates me even more to keep the lips shut... I'm really posting because I impressed myself.... I could only turn one way, but figured out how to paddleboard...I spent the afternoon watching everyone else do it, and I decided that I wanted to try.... I waited until late in the day so if I fell... not many would see it!  I didn't fall, but I did realize that I need to work on getting in shape...it's hard work and using core muscles (which I don't have) is key to being successful! 

I'm adding this picture because Guille and Christie hosted youth at their house a few Sunday nights ago.... We had a great turnout and when I yelled for everyone to get in line for a picture... look at the tall kid in the back row.... second from the left.... he is really twice (some three times)their age... but thinks he is  a teenager.  I'm so glad my children get to be a part of a good group of kids.... moving home has had its ups and downs, but being surrounded by children who don't mind getting together as group of "church kids" is a plus no matter what way you look at it.  Having a core group to turn to when struggles are evident...  my hope is they will look around them when they are tempted to do something they shouldn't and gain encouragement from their friends! 

Baseball was short and sweet this season.... Ben had the opportunity to play catcher and pitcher.... He missed being with his grade level .... I'm hoping next year will be a little better and we have enough to have a team.

We never miss an opportunity to laugh and giggle and be silly.... I'm sure our teachers sent many praises to the Lord when our class graduated... I was lucky enough to part of a great group of students who were all "perfect"... we weren't trashy, we weren't wild, we weren't troublemakers... oh wait...maybe a few of us could be categorized as that.... just teasing... we loved each other like brothers and sisters... It was fun getting back together at a wedding and as I look at this picture, some of us have colored our hair a little bit... some have lost our hair.... some have gained a few pounds... some have their hands where they shouldn't in the picture... but one thing remains the same... our smiles... we all love being silly... we all love being in charge....I'm so glad we can pick up where we left off in 1989... we haven't changed a bit... except our feet hurt, we were ready to go to bed at 9 that night, and we had our significant others with us! 

And while we were taking this picture below... we may have wet our pants a little... someone had the great idea to play wife swap and be silly...

So this picture could be in Southern Living... boys in seersucker pants, smocked dresses, and FROGS... during this wedding there were these children... I'm sure it wasn't MY CHILD's idea to get frogs out of the pond and come put them in the pool... I guess we should have been paying attention to our children instead of taking pictures! 

My hearts.... we cleaned up and attended a wedding... I don't know what I'm going to do when Ben gets a little taller... I always make him stand in front of me.... to hide the hips... I guess I can just photobomb them and poke my head through

Look at this precious one who came to see BUH.... I had to bribe him with a sucker to get his fingernails cut, but I love that he stops by when he is with Mayonnaise to see me!  He wanted to dress like his Papa and wear boots with shorts... I remember Ben doing that too....

THIS NEXT PICTURE IS X-RATED....
so... we like to ride around town... I always have.... the other night as we rode up Main Street, I yelled for Mark to turn around.... I told him I had to do a double take to see if what I thought I saw was really what I saw.... I took a picture and told the store owner that Mark wanted to buy the dress!  So, so funny! 

Ben is sitting with me as I type and insisted I put this picture on here.... it is a cute dress, but I don't do spaghetti straps! 

KB missed this picture because she was at River of Life... this was her third year participating, and she loves it more and more each year... I loved looking at all the pictures they posted...I think she does it to get dressed up and live in a motel for a week.... she loves calling me to pick up her dirty clothes... If I would pay for her to stay at the Cullars Inn each week... she would do it... the four girls she stayed with would not win the cleanest room award... I've never seen such a mess in my life... but it didn't bother them one bit!  At the end of the week she was a little closer to God and recognized as a Keeper of the Water... tears flowed as I heard someone else say how sweet my child was... that makes me smile... and my heart happy...

Another reality tv stalking.... KB wanted me to buy her something from this store in Atlanta, but I didn't get out of sessions at the conference on time to make it to Lennox to make the purchase.... however.... the store is really small...and I was expecting something much bigger! 

And while I was in Atlanta at a conference all week... Boo was at Clemson.... he had a great week with Mimi and JMac carting him around, spending time with his cousins Noah and Harper AND OF COURSE ASHLEY.... I'm thankful for family who can step in when work makes me be somewhere else! 

He worked hard and was named 1 on 1 champ for his division... here is the video of him receiving his award. 

I'm finally done with the pictures and videos from my phone... I haven't even looked at the camera yet... there are lots more there.... I won't let this happen again... I'm excited for this next week... I hope it flies by.... I'm ready to have just a few worries...like when the tide is going to hit my chair... what I'm going to have for supper... and if my book is going to get wet that I'm reading.... until our vacation.... have a great week! 

To My Friend....

This started as an email this morning because in the next several weeks I think my friend may need a little guidance and help from above.  Sometimes hearing that a friend is praying for you, worried about you, hoping the best for you or even just thinking of you helps get through difficult times.  As I started composing the email, I realized that one day my children will go through difficult times, times of worry, times of "oh my gosh", times of "where do I take my next step"... so I decided to blog about it. 
Before I even got up, I had decided that I would send a quick note and remind my friend about Jeremiah 29:11.  For I know the plans, I have for you, declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  It's very clear in the Bible that God is going to take care of us no matter what our situation is... it may not be in the way that we want it to be, but His ways are best.  No need in fighting that...
When I opened my devotional, Jeremiah 1:8 "I am with you..." declares the Lord was the verse.  I think that is even more comforting than knowing that God has a plan.  Knowing that He is right there with you, He is always watching out for you, He is always there to lend a hand....gives a peace like no other.

So to my friend, my family, and my children... storms, hard times, difficult things are evident in life.  Just because we believe in God's love doesn't mean that we won't have hard times... I have recently fallen in love with James - the book in the Bible- not a man!  James 1:2-3- Consider it pure joy my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete not lacking anything. 

And finally, 1 Thes. 5:17-18, pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.  Good luck with weathering this storm.... just think of it as entering a washing machine on spin cycle... and coming out clean and refreshed.  I'm excited for you... even though you are scared to death!  Now... do what I say... hold your head up... put on some new shoes... and remember that I will always have a Bible verse to throw back at ya when you start questioning matters!